The UK has long been seen as being at the fore front of marine renewables, but can they hold onto this lead? With other countries showing a growing interest in the development and deployment of marine technology, is the UK set for a mass exit of developers?

To stem the flow the answer may lie in feed-in tariffs. Professor Ian Bryden from Edinburgh University and head of the supergen program commented, "We should point out that flexible feed in tariffs are usually associated with quotas! In other words, be more proactive about the clever benefits of the UK scheme in comparison with often misrepresented FITs."

Marc Paish from Pulse Tidal added that, "although the timing has not been ideal, MRDF is a useful incentive for first farms and triple ROCs would make early installations very attractive. Looking to foreign markets is not incompatible with being based in the UK."

It seems fair to say that looking to develop your market overseas is not incompatible with developing in the UK. But tread carefully; whilst the grass might always appear green, beneath the glossy veneer of new and creative incentives promising to deliver greater support for emerging green technologies might be a framework which mimics exactly what you already have.

Marc Paish and Ian Bryden will be joining MCT, BWEA, Black and Veatch and BMT Cordah to discuss negotiating the technical leap as you turn tidal project theory into business success at the Tidal Energy Summit 2007 [www.tidaltoday.com/tidal07] 28-29th November 2007, London.

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